PS5 exclusive Returnal showcases combat in new gameplay trailer

Here's how weapons, death and loot work.

Developer Housemarque has given us more of a look of its upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive Returnal, this time with a focus on the game's combat.

In a post on PlayStation Blog, creative director Harry Krueger wrote that players will be able to augment the various weapons that protagonist Selene picks up over the course of the game with Weapon Traits. These modify the game in a variety of ways.

Each weapon also features a random alt-fire mode, meaning that players can have an extra secondary option to take down foes. Selene can only carry one weapon at a time, too, but arms drop fairly regularly so you'll have a variety to choose from.

Dying takes Selene back to the start of the time loop - aka the first level - but an alien device called the Cthonos is tracking your progress and will give you new items at various intervals.

Meanwhile, as well as regular loot, Returnal features items called Parasites which can be either positive or negative for Selene.

"With Returnal we’ve aimed to blend a unique mix of game styles," Krueger wrote.

"It combines our trademark explosive arcade action, responsive controls and bullet hell gameplay, and this time it’s all presented in third-person. There will be fast and frenetic combat and intense gunplay, and also some rich exploration and traversal as you explore the procedurally generated environments of Atropos. We’ve created Returnal to be a challenging and rewarding experience, with enough variety and depth to keep you always coming back for 'one more go'."

This follows Housemarque detailing how the DualSense controller would work in Returnal earlier this week.